Doug Walker of the Rome News Tribune, and Amanda Farrell of Farrell Frame and Design
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Doug Walker has been covering news, and more specifically business news, in Rome, Georgia for more than 35 years. With a background in radio, he shifted to the Rome News Tribune about 10 years ago. He has a wealth of knowledge about the Rome business community, its past, present and future.
Amanda Farrell is the owner of Farrell’s Frame and Design in Rome, Georgia. She lives with her husband of eight years Chris, and their five dogs. She enjoys all things art related, reading, writing, and spending time with family, friends, and her lovable pups. For more information about Farrell’s Frame and Design, visit her website at www.FarrellsFrameandDesign.com
LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Chris Baker with Creative Printing and Packaging and Dan Saban with Anderson Security Agency
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LEADERSHIP LOWDOWN Chris Baker with Creative Printing and Packaging and Dan Saban with Anderson Security Agency
Creative Printing and Packaging is a Folding carton manufacturer (think cereal boxes, cosmetics, vitamins and supplements, but we also produce general commercial printing and digital printing services. 
Chris Baker graduated from The University of Arizona in 1990. After a short stint as a licensed investment broker he started his business in May of 1994. Creative Printing and Packaging is celebrating their 25th year in business this year.
Kimberly Anderson-Matich founded Anderson Security Agency, Ltd. in 1994 and has set standards for the industry, to include designing and implementing superior, comprehensive, and cost-effective security programs for dynamic and complex environments.
As President and Chief Executive Officer, Matich is dedicated to developing and implementing customized security programs for small, medium, and large scale urban and suburban projects. With our innovative strategies, in-house expertise, and meticulous attention to detail, we continue to set new standards for excellence in security. 
In October of 2003, Anderson Security Agency, Ltd. received notification that it had achieved certification as a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council – West and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The WBENC is the nation’s leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America’s corporations. It is also the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States.
Dan Saban is the former Owner of The Saban Group, LLC, an ASU Graduate (Bachelor Science degree, Cum Laude and Dean’s List), NAU Graduate (Masters Degree, Summa Cum Laude), and an award-winning visionary law enforcement professional with more than 35 years of public, private, and international sector experience in policing and management.
Dan’s solid reputation as a distinguished public safety leader led to his selection by the Town of Buckeye in 2005 to serve as its Police Chief. While in Buckeye, he transformed and reshaped, a growing department, raising the standards of professionalism, trust, respect, and performance, while creating long lasting and very successful public/private partnerships.
Dan is married with four children and five grandchildren. He and his wife, Beth, reside in the Desert Hills area north of Phoenix with their youngest son, two rescue dogs, and various other ‘critters.’
Follow Anderson Security Agency on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Jodi Low is an accomplished corporate trainer, inspirational speaker, and the Founder and CEO of U & Improved. Jodi has trained thousands of entrepreneurs and executives on how to build a booming business, master a mindset for success, and achieve the lifestyle they desire through heart-fueled leadership.
Through U & Improved—an award-winning personal and professional leadership development company based in Scottsdale—Jodi has redefined traditional leadership training by creating a sustainable and actionable model that is personal, challenging and meaningful to each and every individual who enrolls in any of the two-and-a-half-day experiential training classes. She and her elite training team have advanced the charge in heart-based leadership
development and empower U & Improved graduates with knowledge, tools and awareness to immediately be more effective and responsive leaders at work, home and within their communities. 
Among her many accomplishments as a Valley leader, Jodi launched a teen leadership program in 2014 to empower young adults to become more confident, motivated and focused stewards of our future. In 2016, she founded a non-profit arm of the company—the U & Improved Leadership Foundation—that makes the program more accessible to deserving teens.
Jodi has been recognized by industry publications and organizations for her work in leadership development and serves as a source of inspiration within the community. In 2015, she was honored as an “Outstanding Women in Business” by the Phoenix Business Journal and by the Phoenix Suns and National Bank of Arizona with the “Amazing Women” award. She has received both the prestigious “Diversity Leader of the Year” and the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce’s “Sterling Award.” She was also awarded a Silver Stevie Award for Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 and was a finalist for the Junior League of Phoenix’s Valley Impact Award. Jodi is a devoted single parent who volunteers her time at her daughters’ school programs and with organizations such as Angel Mamas, where she’s served on the board for three years.
Small Business Fuel: Lara O’Connor Hodgson with NOW Corp
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Lara O’Connor Hodgson serves as President & CEO of NOW Corp, a company she co-founded to free small businesses from the burden of being a free bank to their customers. Lara co-founded Nourish Inc, and introduced its first patented products for children, in airports, hotels, entertainment venues and retail outlets across the US. Lara experienced the challenge of having to fund the trade credit required to support growth. Not finding a solution that worked, she launched NOW Corp and created NOWaccount, the first merchant service payment system for B2B that enables businesses to get paid immediately in a way that feels like taking a credit card for payment (not a loan or factoring) even when terms are offered. NOW Corp is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study and Lara serves as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Harvard Business School.
Lara spent 5 years with Dewberry Capital Corporation, an Atlanta-based commercial real estate development and investment firm, where she served as the company’s Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing development, sales & leasing, property management and marketing.
Lara was the Executive Vice President of Dunk, a performance footwear and apparel manufacturing/retail company built on the concept of mass customization and founded with Shaquille O’Neal & Mike Piazza.
Lara was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Retail and Consumer Products Division of iXL (now Scient), an Internet strategy and consulting firm. She founded the division in 1999 and built it into one of the top performing groups within iXL. The group operated across 26 offices worldwide with clients such as The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and Nike.
Lara is an internationally recognized speaker on creativity, innovation and access to capital. Internationally, Lara has worked in Koriyama, Japan with the U.S. Defense Department’s EAGLE Japan Program and served as the Ambassador to Lebanon for the 1996 Olympic Games.
Lara received an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a BS in Aerospace Engineering with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She was featured in USA Today as one of the top 20 students in the US, was the ODK National Leader of the Year and was a scholarship member of Georgia Tech’s Track & Field team.
Lara currently serves as a Trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation and as President of the Board of Atlanta Heights Charter School. She also serves on the board of CTE (formerly known as Carolina Tractor & Equipment Company), Patterson Real Estate Group, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business Advisory Board, the Georgia Tech College of Engineering Advisory Board and Georgia Tech’s Alexander Tharpe Fund board. Lara formerly served on the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) Board (appointed by the Governor) and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board.
Lara is a member of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2005 and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2004. Lara taught finance as an adjunct instructor in Georgia Tech’s MBA Program for 10 years. Lara was honored by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association with the Total Person Alumnus Award and by the Georgia Tech Women in Engineering as the Alumnus of the Year. She is a member of the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Hall of Fame, was a recipient of a Womenetics 2013 POW! Award honoring Purposeful Women and was named to the 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year. Lara was a 2018 Southeast US Finalist for E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year.
Questions and Topics in this Interview
- EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ North America Class of 2019
- Lara’s work in Koriyama, Japan with the U.S. Defense Department’s EAGLE Japan Program and serving as the Ambassador to Lebanon for the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Lara’s membership in the Georgia Tech Young Alumni Hall of Fame, was a recipient of a Womenetics 2013 POW! Award honoring Purposeful Women and was named to the 2016 Enterprising Women of the Year.
- NOW Corps employees
About Your Hosts
Telisha Farrow Jackson brings her engaging personality, as well as, over 15 years of experience in managing all levels of large scale projects to the SBDC. She has an extensive and varied career in multiple industries, including lending and underwriting; business development; project management; compliance and controls.
She has initiated negotiations, partnership initiatives and cost analysis for businesses majority of her career. Her expertise lies in analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of program operations to ensure that strategies can be effectively and efficiently executed.
One of her most rewarding professional experiences was developing young minds as an elementary school teacher. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, she developed curriculum and led multiple school-wide process improvement and best practice initiatives.
Telisha has used her people skills to build community involvement and awareness by participating in various community outreach events and professionally moderating conferences. She is an inspiring talent and we look forward to the innovative outlook she’s going to add to the UGA SBDC at Georgia State University team.
Follow SBDC on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
Paul Wilson, Area Director with SBDC, has extensive industry experience that spans leadership roles in supply chain management, procurement, marketing, supplier diversity, and small business development. His expertise includes strategic analysis, operational planning, leadership development, contract writing, video marketing, video production, training and curriculum development.
Having worked with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and educational institutions, Paul brings a diverse wealth of knowledge, perspective, and skills to the small business community.
Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.
Customer Experience Radio Welcomes: Dan Schorr and Brad Ross with Premier Foodservice Group
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Aren’t we all really in the customer experience business? During the 20+ years in residential real estate and corporate relocation, the #1 cornerstone of Jill’s business has always been the experience she and her team delivers. Little did she know that this strategy that would become a leading best practice for the world’s greatest businesses to survive in the future. This inspired Jill to interview big business as well as top CX professionals who are leveraging strategies to deliver a superior customer experience, and to share their stories with the business community at large. Join Jill every third Wednesday at 10AM at CXRadio.online.
Premier Foodservice Group was established in 1998 and represent the Commercial Foodservice Industries Top Brands.
Dan Schorr, President, Premier Foodservice Group.
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn.
Brad Ross, Division Sales Manager, Premier Foodservice Group.
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn.
Follow Premier Foodservice on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
Questions and Topics in this Interview
- What is a Manufacturing Rep Group?
- How do end users purchase equipment and supplies Premier represents?
- Does Premier have a showroom and test kitchen?
- Can operators and chefs try out the cooking equipment?
About Your Host
Jill Heineck is a leading authority on corporate relocations, and is highly sought after for her real estate industry acumen and business insights. As a published author, frequent panelist and keynote speaker, Jill shares her experience and perceptions with people from around the globe.
Jill is a founding partner of Keller Williams Southeast, established in 1999, and the founder and managing partner of Heineck & Co. Her real estate practice specializes in corporate relocations, individual relocations, luxury residential, and commercial properties. Jill’s analytical approach to problem-solving, along with her expert negotiation skills and sophisticated marketing, deliver superior results to her clients. Her winning strategies and tenacious client advocacy have earned her a reputation for excellence among Atlanta’s top producers.
While Jill has received many accolades throughout her career, she is most gratified by the personal testimonials and referrals she receives from her clients. Jill’s unwavering commitment to the customer experience, and her focus on the unique needs of each client, serve as the foundation of her success.
Follow Jill Heineck on LinkedIn.
The Arizona 100: Preview of the November 21 Issue
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The Arizona 100
The Arizona 100 is a twice-monthly digital publication that provides quick and concise, yet thorough, news of the people, events, activities and news shaping Arizona. Each of the 100-word stories or 100-second videos focus on the arts, entertainment, history and restaurants to business news, management, healthcare and real estate.
The Arizona 100 has international and national “100” partner markets, which publish any article/ video upon request providing a combined reach of more than 300,000 readers across 15 markets.
The Arizona 100 is a project of HMA Public Relations, a full-service public relations and marketing communications firm in Phoenix.
To subscribe to The Arizona 100, visit thearizona100.com. Submit story ideas to editor@thearizona100.com
ATDC Radio: Tommy Marshall with University System of Georgia
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Tommy Marshall, Executive Director, Georgia Fintech Academy, University System of Georgia – Tommy has spent his 20+ year management consulting career focused on digital financial services and fintech. He works to bring his depth in payments, banking, capital markets, finance & regulation together with the Georgia and global fintech ecosystem to lead and support the objectives of the Georgia Fintech Academy.
Tommy is a graduate of Davidson College and holds an MBA from Vanderbilt University. He has called Atlanta home for the past ten years.
ATDC Radio: Brian Holloway and Tommy Zavieh with Frazier and Deeter
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Brian Holloway has more than 18 years of experience providing valuation, litigation, and consulting services to attorneys, accountants, chief financial officers, corporate controllers, tax directors, and other upper-level management.
Brian has valued the following types of business entities, securities, and assets: publicly-traded corporations, closely held corporations, closely held corporation fractional ownership interests, foreign-domiciled corporations, intangible assets, stock options, general and limited partnership interests, limited liability company interests, and franchises.
Brian’s industry experience includes healthcare, technology, life sciences/biotechnology, hospitality, financial services, retail, food/beverage, insurance, media, consumer products, manufacturing, telecommunications, advertising, auto parts, transportation, professional services, real estate, and governmental entities.
Connect with Brian on LinkedIn.
Tommy Zavieh, Principal with Frazier and Deeter, has over 20 years of professional consulting experience, 15 of which have been dedicated to R&D Tax Credits. He has extensive experience in addressing complex business and specialty tax needs [R&D Tax Credit, Section 199 (DPAD), Meals & Entertainment (M&E), Cost Segregation] for a variety of industries, including automotive, bio-sciences, consumer products, financial services, medical device, oil/gas, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and technology (software and hardware).
Tommy has served startup companies that have gone on to be listed on NYSE to Fortune companies that are household names, helping them improve cash flow, earnings per share and effective tax rates. He has helped his clients receive more than $1.4 billion in credits and deductions and successfully defended clients’ claims when audited.
Connect with Tommy on LinkedIn.
ATDC Radio: Community Engagement Manager Adam Gautsch
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Before joining ATDC, Adam Gautsch spent most of his career helping to run a website development company in Greenville, South Carolina. For fun, he helped start and run different organizations and events in the tech and entrepreneurial sectors. These included a co-working space, a social entrepreneur meetup, an idea collection website for cities, an app tracking the Greenville trolleys, and Startup Week Greenville.
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